Mackay Solar Power

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Mackay in Queensland is home to around 80,000 residents, many of whom are realizing substantial savings on their electricity costs due to the increased number of Mackay solar system providers. The city itself has actively promoted various forms of renewable energy sources to take advantage of the gifts of nature such as adequate sunshine and vast plantations.

The sugar industry in Mackay has not only provided employment opportunities to the residents but also a source of renewable energy. A $120 million co-generation plant was constructed by Mackay Sugar Limited to provide a third of the power needs of the city by the year 2012. The power plant taps bagasse, a sugar cane by-product, to produce 35MW of electricity. Bagasse was simply incinerated in previous years. The construction of the co-generation plant was supported by the federal government through its renewable energy target of sourcing 20% of power from renewable sources by 2020.

Federal government support to renewable energy is also credited for the increasing popularity of solar systems in Mackay. The city is placed in the Renewable Energy Certificate zone 3 under the Federal Solar Rebate and Solar Credits Schemes wherein entities that cause pollution are required to purchase an established number of renewable energy certificates or small-scale technology certificates to counter weigh their carbon emissions.

Small-scale technology certificates are made every time a small-scale generation unit like solar system is installed in Mackay. The owner of the small-scale generation system can use the credits for Mackay solar rebates or sell them later on. The scheme has encouraged many entities to invest in solar systems that are cheaper due to the upfront discounts.

Aside from the rebates, residents of Mackay can benefit from the Solar Bonus scheme of Queensland. The program rewards homes and small electricity consumers that install solar power systems by paying them for the extra electricity that they generate. Households interested in the scheme can shop around for solar systems by asking for free solar quotes Mackay.